diff --git a/lib/winston/logger.js b/lib/winston/logger.js
index dc7866854..be002b648 100644
--- a/lib/winston/logger.js
+++ b/lib/winston/logger.js
@@ -18,14 +18,6 @@ const Profiler = require('./profiler');
 const { warn } = require('./common');
 const config = require('./config');
 
-/**
- * Captures the number of format (i.e. %s strings) in a given string.
- * Based on `util.format`, see Node.js source:
- * https://github.com/nodejs/node/blob/b1c8f15c5f169e021f7c46eb7b219de95fe97603/lib/util.js#L201-L230
- * @type {RegExp}
- */
-const formatRegExp = /%[scdjifoO%]/g;
-
 /**
  * TODO: add class description.
  * @type {Logger}
@@ -226,26 +218,21 @@ class Logger extends Transform {
       return this;
     }
 
-    const [meta] = splat;
+    // if the last argument is an object, treat it as meta and merge it into info
+    const [meta] = splat.slice(-1);
     if (typeof meta === 'object' && meta !== null) {
-      // Extract tokens, if none available default to empty array to
-      // ensure consistancy in expected results
-      const tokens = msg && msg.match && msg.match(formatRegExp);
-
-      if (!tokens) {
-        const info = Object.assign({}, this.defaultMeta, meta, {
-          [LEVEL]: level,
-          [SPLAT]: splat,
-          level,
-          message: msg
-        });
+      const info = Object.assign({}, this.defaultMeta, meta, {
+        [LEVEL]: level,
+        [SPLAT]: splat,
+        level,
+        message: msg
+      });
 
-        if (meta.message) info.message = `${info.message} ${meta.message}`;
-        if (meta.stack) info.stack = meta.stack;
+      if (meta.message) info.message = `${info.message} ${meta.message}`;
+      if (meta.stack) info.stack = meta.stack;
 
-        this.write(info);
-        return this;
-      }
+      this.write(info);
+      return this;
     }
 
     this.write(Object.assign({}, this.defaultMeta, {
diff --git a/test/logger.test.js b/test/logger.test.js
index 0d21d3fa1..22a3c1a7b 100755
--- a/test/logger.test.js
+++ b/test/logger.test.js
@@ -788,15 +788,29 @@ describe('Logger (logging exotic data types)', function () {
       const logged = [];
       const logger = helpers.createLogger(function (info, enc, next) {
         logged.push(info);
+        assume(info.extra).equals(true);
         assume(info.label).equals(undefined);
         next();
 
         if (logged.length === 1) done();
-      });
+      }, format.splat());
 
       logger.info('Hello %j', { label: 'world' }, { extra: true });
     });
 
+    it(`.info('Literal "%c"') does not drop meta props when splat formatter not used`, function (done) {
+      const logged = [];
+      const logger = helpers.createLogger(function (info, enc, next) {
+        logged.push(info);
+        assume(info.label).equals('world');
+        next();
+
+        if (logged.length === 1) done();
+      });
+
+      logger.info('Literal "%c"', { label: 'world' });
+    });
+
     it(`.info('Hello') and .info('Hello %d') preserve meta with splat format`, function (done) {
       const logged = [];
       const logger = helpers.createLogger(function (info, enc, next) {